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webinar series
Learning Collaborative
Join us for a series of virtual presentations designed specifically for teachers, school staff, and community partners who work with youth. Across the country, educators are seeing an increase in students facing mental health challenges, trauma, and difficulties with self-regulation.
This series provides practical tools and neuroscience-based strategies to help you respond with confidence, compassion, and clarity. Whether you work in a classroom, after-school program, or community organization, these approaches will support you in fostering resilience, building hope, and creating safer, more supportive learning environments—for both students and adults.
DATES & TOPICS OF WEBINARS WILL BE ADDED TO THE WEBSITE ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
Recordings will be available to registered participants.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Natalia Leusner at natalia@capeassist.org
or (609) 435-3753.
Topics covered
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Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the impact on child development
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Positive and Compensatory Childhood Experiences (PACEs)
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Trauma Responsive Approaches
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Educator Wellness and Resiliency
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Substance Misuse Prevention with Youth
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Drug Trends
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Resources for Youth and Families
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A.I.D. training (Awareness. Intervention. Direction.)
Webinar #5:
"Anchored in Hope: Building Resilience in High-Impact Professions"
Kelly Benigno, BSN, RN, FN-CSA
Cape Assist Wellness Center Coordinator
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 3:45pm – 5:00pm
In fields like education and healthcare, stress isn’t occasional — it’s part of the job. Anchored in Hope will explore practical tools for building resilience while continuing to support others with compassion. Drawing on 20 years as an ER nurse and leading a team through COVID-19, Kelly Benigno will share real experiences and lessons on staying hopeful, connected, and leading through tough moments. The session will offer realistic strategies on keeping oneself grounded during challenging moments to help reset the “temperature” in the space that needs calm. Participants will reflect on personal anchors that keep them steady and identify what helps strengthen long-term resilience.
Webinar #5:
"Supporting Our Youth: Exploring the Children’s System of Care and Local Services"
Temerity Berry, CPS
Senior Prevention Specialist
Tuesday, MaY 5, 2026 | 3:45pm – 4:45pm
This presentation provides an overview of the many resources available to support youth and families throughout the county. Participants will learn about the Children’s System of Care, including how it helps young people access mental health, behavioral health, developmental, and crisis‑stabilization services. The session will also highlight private options for mental health and substance‑use treatment, along with programs that build essential life skills for adolescents.
Whether you work with youth, support families, or want to better understand what services exist in the community, this presentation will offer information about the local network of supports designed to help young people thrive.
Webinar #1:
"From Trauma to Resilience: Understanding the Impact of ACEs and PACEs in Today’s Youth”
Nikki Nichols, MSW, LCSW, CCTP
prevention Program Coordinator, Cape Assist
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 | 3:45pm – 5:00pm
This training provides participants with a foundational understanding of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive and Compensatory Experiences (PACEs) - two critical frameworks in understanding how early life experiences shape long-term health, behavior, and resilience.
Participants will explore the science behind ACEs, including their impact on brain development, behavior, physical health, and mental well-being. The training will also highlight the power of PACEs in buffering trauma and fostering resilience through safe relationships, supportive environments, and protective factors. Participants will learn about ways in which they can use their relationship with youth to increase PACEs in their lives.
Passcode: #x9z.bN*
Webinar #2:
"Introduction to Applied Educational Neuroscience”
Joe Faldetta, CPS, LPC, LCADC, CCS, CPRS
director of Prevention Services, Cape Assist
Tuesday, January 6, 2026 | 3:45pm – 5:00pm
This workshop introduces participants to the Applied Educational Neuroscience framework and its four core pillars. This brain-based approach to teaching emphasizes helping students reach a calm, alert state that supports optimal learning and engagement. Participants will explore topics such as brain states, focused attention practices, brain breaks, and sensation awareness strategies designed to enhance classroom learning and emotional regulation.
Passcode: c&i@cL3F
Webinar #3:
"Building a Culture of Value: The "Everything Counts" Framework for Schools and Communities"
Peter Daly
Principal, Richard M. Teitelman Middle School
Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 3:45pm – 4:45pm
"Everything Counts" is not just a slogan; it is a mindset. Employers, educational leaders, teachers, parents, and even children can apply these principles to their workplaces, schools, classrooms, and households. The workshop will begin by introducing this mindset in its most basic form and will guide participants on how to apply it in various situations, ranging from everyday life to school-wide programs and classroom activities. Once individuals assign value to their own actions, they can begin to recognize the efforts of others, creating an environment that values everyone's contributions. Participants will be able to take this from mindset to impact by creating a culture that values everyone and everything they do.
Webinar #4:
"Classroom Wellness: Felt Safety Is the Love Language of the Nervous System"
Jodi Corbett, MA, CPRS
Lower Township Healthy Youth Coalition (LTHYC) Coordinator, Cape Assist
Tuesday, March 3, 2026 | 3:45pm – 5:00pm
In a time where outside realities are inside classrooms, how can teachers and learners create a classroom of felt safety to ground them against dysregulation and discord? This session discusses a Neuroscience approach to creating "felt safety” through prioritizing nervous system health of both teachers and learners through
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co-regulation to build safe, trusting relationships where the teacher’s calm state helps stabilize learners' nervous system;
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micro-moments to create continuity and connection through consistent routines and check-ins;
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neuroscience language to hold conversations that normalize brain and body states; and
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healing practices to restore classroom regulation when collective dysregulation impacts the classroom’s mental health and wellness.
